Lock washer



July 20, 1954 H. v. ELLIOTT 2,684,098

LOCK WASHER Filed Nov. 5, 1949 mi ft L4 /NVE/v TOR A TTO/QNEYS Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT QFFEQE LOCK WASHER corporation of Delaware Application November 5, 1949, Serial No. 125,743

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to lock Washers and its object is to provide a lock washer which is useful especially in conjunction with the assembling of parts with a threaded stud which extends downwardly from a fixed support These parts include a member to be clamped against the fixed support by a nut engaging the threaded stud and which is screwed toward the support to engage the lock washer which engages the member to clamp it against the support Since it is desirable that the lock washer should not turn relative to the support while the nut is loose on the screw for reasons to be stated later, the lock washer is provided with means cooperating with the support to retain the lock Washer in assembly with the support.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

En the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view of an assembly of parts including the support, stud, member, lock washer and nut referred to.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Eg. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow 3 of Fig. l.

In Fig. 1, I is a fixed support which may be,

for example, the cover of an ignition coil mounted v upside down on the back wall of the engine compartment of an automobile. The automobile, being assembled on an assembly line, arrives at certain places where a workman is to connect with the coil terminal i I, a conductor 2| attached to a terminal clip 23. The support I0 arrives in front of the workman with a nut I3 and a lock washer I4 loosely assembled on the threaded stud l2 integral with terminal I I and extending downwardly therefrom. The nut I3 is loose on the stud l2 so that the workman can insert the clip f2.9 between the lock washer I4 and the support I0 and terminal I I, the clip 20 having a notch 22 to receive the stud I2.

The lock washer I4 has three flanges IB, each one of which is shaped to assist in guiding the clip 2li between the lock washer and the support. The instructions to the workman call for assembling the clip 20 in a certain location relative to a particular flange I6, for example, the middle flange. It is therefore desirable that the lool: washer, which had been previously assembled relative to the support I0 in a definite relation, should remain in that relation when the loose assembly arrives in front of the workman although the nut I3 may have become loose. Therefore the lock washer It has a pair of resilient, pointed tangs I'I which are received in a pocket I8 in support I0 and which, by their resiliency, bias the points of the tangs against the cylindrical surface defining the pocket Iii These tangs resiliently retain the lock washer I', although the nut I3 were loose cn the stud i2 or were removed therefrom.

All the workman is required to do is locate the clip 20 in a certain relation to one of the flanges IS of the lock washer and insert it between the lock washer and the support and tighten the nut I3.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted What is claimed is as follows:

A locking device for use with a member having a threaded stud and nut therefor to which a bifurcated connection is to be made and wherein the member includes a pocket to position the device, comprising a rectangular plate having three flanges inclined in one direction and separated at the corners, and a lug extending from the fourth edge and bent in the opposite direction from the flanges to engage said pocket; spring locking means arranged about a central aperture to fit loosely over the stud, said locking means comprising alternate depressed lips cut into said plate on the diagonal thereof, said lug including two barbed arms forcibly insertable in said pocket for fixedly holding the device to the member, and for preventing rotation of the plate with respect to said member whereby the bifurcated connection may be slipped over the stud through an entry provided by any one of the inclined flanges, whereupon the nut may be tightened to hold the connection in place without rotating the device over the connection, so as to prevent destruction of said connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 324,410 Otto Aug. 13, 1385 1,150,745 Crozier Aug. 17, 1915 1,592,020 Weston July 13, 1926 1,686,216 Kyle Oct. 2, 1928 1,916,526 Olson July 4, 1933 2,128,429 Olson Aug. 30, 1938 2,392,714 Zerbe Jan. 8, 1946 

